Western civilization has entered the long-predicted Secular Age, when the power of religion over society gradually recedes.

Europe started the shift after World War II. Churchgoing diminished until only a fringe of Europeans attend worship today. The young especially ignore faith. The secularizing trend spread to Canada and other democracies.

Now it’s occurring in America. People who tell pollsters their religion is “none” have increased to one-fourth of the U.S. population. They’re expected to continue rising because one-third of Americans under 30 have ceased worshiping.

This trend has political significance, because those who don’t attend church are strongly liberal. The “none” segment may decide the presidency.

“The Decline of Religion is the GOP’s Real Demographic Crisis” is the title of a research report by journalist Matthew Sheffield, who is writing a book on the trend.

He points out Republican Mitt Romney won the 2012 presidential election, as far as U.S. churchgoers are concerned – but churchless voters killed Romney.

“It is safe to say that the Godless Gap cost Mitt Romney the election,” Sheffield concluded.

Young “nones” generally are tolerant and humane. They support the right of gays to marry and women’s right to end pregnancies. They would halt the death penalty and legalize marijuana. They support universal health care. They reject most of the GOP and its fundemantalist wing’s harsh Puritanism.

White evangelicals vote Republican as forcefully as “nones” vote Democratic. Both groups are now even – each comprising one-fifth to one-fourth of voters.

But white evangelicals are shrinking, while the churchless grow relentlessly. The trend bodes a brighter future for liberal politics (although many “nones” don’t vote).

It’s fascinating to watch the culture evolve. When I became a young reporter in Charleston, W.Va., the 1950s, Appalachian Bible Belt taboos were locked into law. It was a felony to be gay or for a desperate girl to end a pregnancy. Mixed-race marriage was against the law. It was a crime to sell a cocktail, lottery ticket or anything akin to a Playboy magazine. Schools had mandatory teacher-led prayer. It was a crime for an unwed couple to live together or even share a bedroom.

All those religion-based laws slowly vanished as society turned more secular. Few people noticed, because we all were too busy with daily life.

Husband: My wife is missing. She went shopping yesterday and hasn't come home.

Sergeant: What is her height?

Husband: Gee, I’m not sure. A little over five-feet tall.

Sergeant: Weight?

Husband: Don’t know. Not slim, not really fat.

Sergeant: Color of eyes?

Husband: Never noticed.

Sergeant: Color of hair?

Husband: Changes a couple times a year. Maybe dark brown.

Sergeant: What was she wearing?

Husband: Could have been a skirt or shorts. I don’t remember exactly.

Sergeant: What kind of car did she go in?

Husband: She went in my truck.

Sergeant: What kind of truck was it?

Husband: Brand new 2015 Ford F150 King Ranch 4X4 with eco-boost 5.0L V8 engine special ordered with manual transmission. It has a custom matching white cover for the bed. Custom leather seats and “Bubba” floor mats. Trailer package with gold hitch. DVD with navigation, 21-channel CB radio, six cup holders, and four power outlets. Added special alloy wheels and off-road Michelins. Wife put a small scratch on the drivers door.

Half of Americans who have left their church no longer believe in God, leading a surge of nearly one quarter of the nation who have no affiliation with any religion, according to a new survey.

Pew Research Center said Wednesday that 49 percent of what they term "nones" left their church and religion because they "don't believe." Another 20 percent said they don't like organized religion. Other reasons included "common sense" and a lack of believe in miracles.

The survey is the latest from Pew that demonstrates a growing trend in America: More and more people are junking religion and many are giving up on God.

Pew interviewed several respondents to try and find a reason. Pew Said for example:

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"About half of current religious 'nones' who were raised in a religion (49%) indicate that a lack of belief led them to move away from religion. This includes many respondents who mention 'science' as the reason they do not believe in religious teachings, including one who said 'I'm a scientist now, and I don't believe in miracles.' Others reference 'common sense,' 'logic' or a 'lack of evidence' – or simply say they do not believe in God."

I suppose if you let the police shoot citizens to death over and over and over without any accountability or punishment, you shouldn't be surprised if some of them start shooting back. I don't condone what happened, but the media is as clueless as they could possibly be:

Megyn Kelly: "We do not know the motivation behind tonight's shooting in Dallas"

Yahoo: "Nor do authorities know what motivated the attack..."

Chief David Brown said, "...police don't have a motivation for the attacks"

Zero Hedge: "No specific motive has been given for the shootings at the downtown protest..."

Holy shit, I'm an old white guy and I know why EXACTLY the shootings took place.

It's no mystery, this isn't something you need to puzzle out. It's plain f*cking as day: you let cops go around shooting and killing people, mostly young black men, and you don't punish or convict them. Sooner or later someone is going to pop a gasket and start shooting at cops.

For the media to say that they "don't know why this happened" is the stupidest thing I've heard in a long, long time.

Another is that the International Olympic Committee is a notoriously ridiculous organization run by grifters and hereditary aristocrats. Norwegian citizens were particularly amused/outraged (amuseraged) by the IOC's diva-like demands for luxury treatment during the hypothetical Games. Here's a piece in the Norwegian media about the controversy, with translation provided by a generous Norwegian reader named Mats Silberg:

They demand to meet the king prior to the opening ceremony. Afterwards, there shall be a cocktail reception. Drinks shall be paid for by the Royal Palace or the local organizing committee.

Separate lanes should be created on all roads where IOC members will travel, which are not to be used by regular people or public transportation.

A welcome greeting from the local Olympic boss and the hotel manager should be presented in IOC members' rooms, along with fruit and cakes of the season. (Seasonal fruit in Oslo in February is a challenge ...)

The hotel bar at their hotel should extend its hours “extra late” and the minibars must stock Coke products.

The IOC president shall be welcomed ceremoniously on the runway when he arrives.

The IOC members should have separate entrances and exits to and from the airport.

During the opening and closing ceremonies a fully stocked bar shall be available. During competition days, wine and beer will do at the stadium lounge.

IOC members shall be greeted with a smile when arriving at their hotel.

Meeting rooms shall be kept at exactly 20 degrees Celsius at all times.

The hot food offered in the lounges at venues should be replaced at regular intervals, as IOC members might “risk” having to eat several meals at the same lounge during the Olympics.

"This is a missed opportunity for the City of Oslo and for all the people of Norway who are known world-wide for being huge fans of winter sports. And it is mostly a missed opportunity for the outstanding Norwegian athletes who will not be able to reach new Olympic heights in their home country."

LOL!! Sounds like Oslo has its head on straight. f*ck the IOC, who are a bunch of predatory scumbags.

The "Freedom of Panorama" is the right to take pictures in public spaces, even if you incidentally capture copyrighted works, from building facades to public sculptures to images on t-shirts and ads -- and on July 9, the EU will vote whether to abolish it.

The Legal Affairs committee is prepared to get rid of this, thanks to an amendment proposed by French MEP Jean-Marie Cavada, who wants people taking commercial photos to get prior permission from copyright creators for any incidental copyrighted works captured in their images.

The dog catacomb in North Saqqara was first discovered in the 19th century. However, the huge extent of animal body count in this region was unearthed recently by a team of archeologists from the University of Cardiff.

According to lead researcher Paul Nicholson, the temple and the catacombs found in North Saqqara served as the burial ground, decked out with mummies of mongooses, jackals, hawks, cats, baboons, foxes, bulls, falcon, and millions of dogs.

Some of these animals lived in the main temple complex, but the majority was bred, probably, to serve the purpose of mummification. Nicholson suggests many puppies would have been kept in the tomb from birth. They were not strangled but died due to starvation or dehydration.